Glossary
official statistical API
official statistical API is publisher-operated query endpoints returning machine-readable data directly; World Bank records "delivered free via CSV, XML, Excel bulk files and a JSON API". In Datadory's catalog of 1,744 datasets, World Bank and IEA Renewables Data Explorer and IRENASTAT both carry delivery_channel are working examples.
What is official statistical API?
Publisher-operated query endpoints returning machine-readable data directly, as opposed to static file drops.
In this slice four sources expose them, generally mirroring the publisher's web query tool.
In this catalog it appears concretely: - World Bank — "delivered free via CSV, XML, Excel bulk files and a JSON API". - IEA Renewables Data Explorer and IRENASTAT both carry delivery_channel. - Eurostat STI statistics — "retrievable free through the dissemination API in JSON-stat and SDMX".
Why does official statistical API matter when choosing a dataset?
Access method sets your maintenance bill. Delivery routes change, layouts drift and scrapers rot quietly; whoever operates your pipeline inherits all of it, which is why access should be priced alongside the license itself.
The failure mode is concrete: a source can carry the official statistical API label while differing from what you need on exactly the dimension that matters — delivered free via CSV, XML, Excel bulk files and a JSON API. Comparing two sources on that line usually settles the choice faster than any feature matrix.
You rarely have to take a vendor's word for it. 82.4% of the 1,744 datasets Datadory catalogs are free to access, and World Bank lets you inspect the real artifact before any budget is committed.
How do you evaluate official statistical API in a data source?
Treat every claim of this attribute as testable:
- Open World Bank and confirm its record — "delivered free via CSV, XML, Excel bulk files and a JSON API" — against the files you actually receive.
- Open IEA Renewables Data Explorer and IRENASTAT both carry delivery_channel and compare its listing against the delivered artifact before paying for a commercial equivalent.
- Open Eurostat STI statistics and confirm its record — "retrievable free through the dissemination API in JSON-stat and SDMX" — against the files you actually receive.
See the term applied to real records: renewable-electricity data.
Related terms
Adjacent concepts worth reading next: - json stat sdmx - pxweb query tool - wdi indicator code
Frequently asked questions
What is an example of official statistical API?
World Bank is the clearest example in this catalog. Its record states: "delivered free via CSV, XML, Excel bulk files and a JSON API". Across all 1,744 datasets Datadory averages a quality score of 7.81 out of 10, so a named example can be weighed rather than trusted blindly.
Is data described as "official statistical API" free to use?
Treat access and permission separately. 82.4% of the 1,744 datasets in this catalog are free to access, but 235 are freemium and 61 are paid outright, so confirm both the price and the license on the exact distribution before building on it.
How do I verify a source really provides official statistical API?
Open World Bank next to IEA Renewables Data Explorer and IRENASTAT both carry delivery_channel and compare the promise with the download. Field definitions are verified for 1495 of 1,744 datasets (85.7%), which makes that check fast inside the catalog and manual outside it.
Datasets containing this field
Datasets containing official statistical API
6 datasets carry official statistical api in the catalog. Open one, count the fields, judge for yourself.
Business Formation Statistics (BFS) Data
Forbes — America's Best Management Consulting Firms
firm_name · sector_category · star_rating …+2 more
Global Solar Power Tracker Data
Every listing shows the field dictionary, sample rows, and coverage before you commit. API, files, or your warehouse. Daily, weekly, or hourly.
Get sample rows